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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. branch — a division
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. mate — a friend
  7. face — part of the head
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mate — to breed
  12. last — final
  13. last — to go on
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. file — a line of people
  17. mug — a cup
  18. file — a tool
  19. mug — a face
  20. mate — a partner
  21. face — to point toward
  22. last — finally
  23. file — a document
  24. bay — to keep at bay

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com